Suspension lift-bridge.



1. B. smAuss. SUSPENSION LIFT BRIDGE.

APPLICATION FHEU MAY 3| i913.

1,269,976. Patend June 18, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

. 3 WMe/5,665.'-

@m 02,@ r@ y y is @yx 1. 8.4STRAUSS. SUSPENSION Lm BRIDGE.

.APPLICATION FILED MAY3. 1913.

Patented June 18, 1918..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@Sep/)13.5 26S/S.

JOSEPH B. STBAUSS, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

sUsPENsIoN LIFT-BRIDGE.

- lApplication nica nays,191s. seria-1 No. 765,225.,

TQ all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JosEPiI-B. STRAUss, a. citizen of the United States, residing` at Chicago, -in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Suspension Lift- Bridges, ofwhich the `following isaspeci- 3-3 of. Fig. 2

vfication. i

Thisrinvention relates to suspension .lift bridges-and has for its object to provide a scription.

The invention is illustrated in thev accom-l panying drawings whereiny l l Figure 1 is a view showingone form vof bridge embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on Aline 2*-2 ofFig.l;'

Fig. 3 isa sectional view taken-on.v line Fig. 4 is a 'view'showing a modified construction;

Fig. 5 is a viewshowing the operating and equalizing mechanism for the bridge span;

Fig. 6 1s a view taken on line of Fig.,

1 with arts omitted; v

Fig. is a view showing a modified construction of connecting mechanism between the sections of the suspension device.

. Fig. 8 is a view showing the section-6 separate fromthe supporting tower to show the connection of the brace tothe tower.

Like numerals refer to like parts through-l out the several figures.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings, I lhave illustrated a suspension bridge which has'a main span .suspended by a'suspension device and adapted to be lifted vertically when it is desired to open the bridge. Intlie construction shown in Fig. 1, there are two towers or supports 1 and 2. These towers or supports are mounted upon piers. 3, andare preferably made up of members4 pivoted-at their intersections as at 4 so thatthe tower is free to move to. compensate for variations in temperature, as hereinafter set out. The towers or supports are separated a suitable distance and there is a suspension device spanning the space between them, said suspension device consisting of a plurality of sections 5 and 6 'movably connected with the towers 1 and 2, thus being an intermediate section 7, the intermediate section being movably connected with the other portions ofthe suspension device. A mov- ,the 'upper ends of the towers.

able bridge Spanl s is @miedby thes'uspens1on device and is arranged to' be moved -verticall when it is desired to openthe'bridge.. l

its s own in Fig. 1, vtheJ portions or sectlons 5 and 6 of the suspension device are carried by theseparated'supports and are pivoted lthereto at 9 .so that they may. be

moved upwardly or downwardly.. The out-4 line shown bythe dash lines at .-the upper*- i vv ends of the towers 1 and 2-are ornamental new and improved` lift bridge of this d e-4 outlines indicating ornamental devices at with each of the sections 5 and 6 is a. counterweight 10, the counterweight being -pivot ed at l1 to the sections 5 and 6 and at 12 to a connection 13.- The connection 13 o-fthe sec- 'tion 6 is pivotally connected to the support- .ing armli (see Figs. k1 and 2) which is pivotally connected'with'section 6 and with the movable span 8. The connection 13 of section 5 is pivotally connected to a 'similar supporting arm 14 which is pivotally con- -nected with4 section 5 and-with the movable span l8. The intermediate movable portion 7 .1s connected by the supporting arms -15 nection 16 connecting it with the movable Connected f *with the movable span 8.v The intermediate portion is also provided with a central coning the members 14 and 15 at one lside ofthe -4 bridge. There will be a similar set offmembers at the other .side of the bridge. Con- 'nected with the `end portion 6 are the, hooks .17. These hooks are keyed to a non-rotatin member 18 connected with theportion 6 and engage a pin or fixed device 19'on the intermediate portion ,7 ofthe suspension device. As illustrated in Fig. 2, there are two hooks '17 vat each side -of the bridge. The portion 5 is provided with similar hooks 17. These' hooks 17 connect the intermediate portion 7 of the suspension device with the portions 5' and 6 when/che movable bridge-span is closed so that agcontinu'ous suspension device is provided upon .which the movable bridge span is carried., Since these hooks 17 are connected to the fixed part 18, it will. be seen that when the intermediate portion 7 is moved upwardly, the hooks will automati callyA become disengaged `from the parts 19,

as shown for example in Fig. 4, and when f the intermediate portion-l is moved downwardly, these hooks will automatically en-A gage vthe parts 19. The intermediate portion 7 is also connected with the ends of the movable bridge span 8 by means of the connecting pieces 20. The vertically movable bridge span 8 may be lifted by any suitable actuating mechanism. As hereiash-own, the span carries a motor 2l (see Fi. is. l, 4 and 5) which is operatively connected with an equalizing shaft 22 extending along the span 8. lThis equalizing shaft is opera` tively connected with the cross shafts 23 near the ends of the span 8. fIhese cross shafts are operatively connected with the' pinions 24: which engage the toothed racks 25 associated with the towers or supports lv and 2. It will thus be seen that the movable bridge span 8 will be moved upwardly when the motor is rotated in one direction and thatl .because of4 the equalizing mechanism-the two ends of the span will move equally so that the whole span will move vertically,

and that this equal movement occurs both when the span is movedk `upwardly and downwardly.

In Fig. 7, I have showna modified construction for connecting the movable intermediate portion 7 of the suspension device with the adjacent portions thereof. In this construction, instead of having the hooks 17. I provide slotted links 26 which are pivotally connected to the end portions 5 and 6 and which have slots 27 which engage the pins or fixed parts 28 on the movable intermediate sectin 7. A When the sections of the suspension device are moved up wardly as shown in Fig. 4 the pins 28 slide along the slots 27 so as not to interfere with this movement. By this construction, the suspension device can be moved upwardlyso that the portions 5 and 6 instead of being substantially horizontal as shown in FiO". 4, may be moved above the horizontal line connecting the pivots thereof to an angle equal to the angle below said horizontal line which they occupy .when the bridge is closed. The towers or supports l and 2 yare connected by rigid truss supports '29 to fixed supports 30, and the bridge approach spans 3l are suspended from these rigid truss supports. The towers or supports l ,andv 2 having their members nin-connected or pivoted together, and being pin-connected or pivoted to the piers, and

being parallelograms7 are free to move and 4 change their shape when the rigid truss supports 29 lengthen and shorten under variations in temperature. In Fig. l, the supports or towers l and 2 are mounted upon single piers 3 by means of a pivotal connection 32, this pivotal connection permitting relative movement thereof to compensate for variations in temperature. In Figs. l and 4:' the connection between the members 29 and the towers are somewhat obscured by the overlapping members of sections 5 and 6. In Fig. 8 I have shown the upper end of the tower and one of these sections separa-ted in e are It will be noted that both 'Ihese pinions then travel along the racks 25 and cause the movable span to be lifted. rIhe movement ofthe span then causes the suspension device to be moved, the interlocking or supporting connection between the intermediate portion 7 and the end portions 5 and 6 being rendered inoperative so as to permit relative movement between the intermediate portion and theend portions of said suspension device,`the counterweight 10 counterbalancing the-parts during this movement. f y

In Fig. Ll, I have -illustrated the bridge when the movable bridge span is lifted. When it is desired to lower the bridge span, the motor` is reversed and th@l bridge span is lowered down to the position shown inky Fig. l, whereupon the intermediate portion 7 automatically interlocks with the end portions of the suspension device so as to form a continuous suspension member for supporting the bridgepan 8, 'said suspension member carrying bbth the live and dead loads. The end sections 5 and 6 may be termed lifting arms, and they are arranged so that the outlines thereof harmonize with the bridge span so as to form a continuous appearing structure. Both the live and dead load stresses are .transmitted through these lifting arms to the supports. It will be noted that in this construction the supports over the piers are so constructed that the sections and 6, which are connected with the bridge span and carry the counterweight therefor, are connected to their respective supports beyond or outside of the pier center, there being provided' means for counteracting the over-turning lmoment caused 'thereby so that the re-action comes upon the piers, these means in the particular construe tion shown being the rigid truss supports 29.

I claim-z v 1. A bridge comprising separated supports, a movable suspension device connected with said supports and spanning the space. between them and varying in length when moved to open and close the bridge, a verti- .cally movable bridge span connected with saidsuspension device, operating mechanism for varying the position of said suspension` device so as to lift said bridge span, and means associated with the suspension device for compensating for the di'erence in length thereof when moved to its various positions.

2. A bridge comprising two supports on opposite sides of the space to be spanned by the bridge, a suspension device connected with said supports and spanning the space between them, a bridge span connected with said suspension device, operating mechanism connected with said span so as to lift it, said suspension device provided with an intermediate section detachably attached to the remaining portion of the suspension device and means for detaching said intermediate section from the remaining portion of the suspension device so that the bridge span may be moved upwardly.

A bridge comprising separated supports, a movablev suspension'device connected with said supports and spanning the space between them, a vertically movable bridge span connected with saidsuspension device, counterbalancing material connected Awith said suspension device for counterbalancing the bridge span, and mechanism for moving the bridge span, and thereby operating the suspension device.

4. A .bridge comprising separated supports, a movable suspension device connected with said supports, aA vertically movable span connected with said suspension device, a counterbalance at each end ofsaid sus )ension device for counterbalancing the brit ge span, and mechanism to lift said span, and thereby operating the suspension device.

5. A bridge comprising `separated supports, a vertically movable bridge span between them, a rigid truss vsupport connected with one of said supports, and an approach span suspended from said rigid truss support. y

6. A bridge comprising separated supports, a'single pier foreach support, a pivotal connection between each support an its associate pier to permit expansion of the brace, an anchoring device connected with each support, a suspension device connected with said supports and spanning the space between then, a vertically movable span connected with said suspension device so as to be supported thereby and means for moving the bridee s )an.

7. A bri ge comprising separated supports, a' movable suspension device connected with the supports and spanning the space between them, said suspension device provided with an intermediate portion movably connected with the other portions thereof, a vertically movable bridge span connected with said suspension device and operating mechanism to lift and lower said bridge span.

8. A bridge comprising separated supports, a suspension device connected with said supportsand spanning the space between them, said suspension device comprising two end' ortions and an intermediate portion mova le with relation to said end port-ions, al vertically movable bridge span, the end portlons andthe intermediate portion of said suspension device being con-l nected with said bridge span, and interlocking connections between the end portions and the intermediate portion of said suspension device When the bridge span is in its closed position.

9. A bridge comprising separated supports, a suspension device connected with said supports and spanningthe space be-4 tween-them, said suspension device comprising two end` portions, movably connected wit-h the fixed supports and an intermediate portion movably connected with said end` portions, ya vertically movable bridge span,

`the endl portions and the intermediate portion'o said suspension device being connected with said bridge span, and interlocking connections between the end portions and the intermediate portion of said suspension device when the bridge span is in its closed position.

10. A bridge comprising separated'supports, a suspension device connected with said supports and spanning the space between them, said 'suspension device compris- Aing end portions movably` connected with portion of said suspension device when the bridge span is in its closed position.

11. A bridge comprising separatedV supports, a suspension device connected with said supports and spanning the space between them, said suspension device comprising end portions movably connected with the supports and an intermediate movableportion connected with the end portions, counterweights connecte-d with said end portions for counterbalancing the span, a vertically movable bridge span associated with sai suspension device, supporting' arms connected with the bridge span and with said intermediate movable` part, supporting arms connected with said bridge span andthe end portions of said suspension device and connections between said latter supports and said counterweights, and interlocking connections between theend portions and the intermediate portion of said suspension delvice when v the bridge span is in itsclosed position.

12. A bridge comprising two supports,

two movable` sections mounted thereon, a

span connected therewith, a part connected with said span and engaging with the movable Sections to form e continuous structure between the supports for carrying-the loads terposed between seid lifting` 4sections 1nd` connected with the movable sections to form a continuous Structure when the bridge is closed.

14. A bridge comprising separated supports, a. suspension devioeconnected with said supports and Spanning the space between them, said suspension device comprising two end portions' and an intermediate portion movable with relation to said end portions, a vertically movable bridge Span, the end portions and the intermediate portion of said device being1 'connected with said A bridge Span and locking connections between the ends of seid intermedia-te portion and the ends of said end portions.

ln testimony whereof, I eix my signature in the presence of two witnesses this 25 

